From P2 on the grid a week ago with Mercedes, George Russell admits only managing P18 at Williams is the “sad reality of Formula 1”.
The Briton has been a regular Q2 visitor this season, but was a second off Antonio Giovinazzi in P15 in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday.
And commenting on the huge contrast between where he’ll start this Sunday versus last Sunday, Russell admits there’s very little more he could do.
“It’s obviously a big difference,” he told RaceFans. “The lap times show that.
“In some ways, I feel more comfortable here at Williams because it’s my car, it’s where I’ve been for two years, but ultimately, we just don’t have the speed.
“As a driver, you’re doing the same job, but one week you’re fighting in the top three, the next week you’re in the bottom three. But that’s, unfortunately, the sad reality in Formula 1 these days.”
Russell initially came into this weekend wearing Mercedes colours amid uncertainty over whether Lewis Hamilton would be cleared to race.
And asked what it was like to return to Williams when it was confirmed the world champion would take part, his response was unsurprising.
“It was a strange feeling, to be honest,” he said.
“Prior to Bahrain, I really wanted to have the two weeks in the car, purely because I was expecting to learn everything I needed to in Bahrain and I could have come here with no excuses, as such.
“As Bahrain did go so well from a performance perspective, part of me was like you know what, I think it was a good weekend, obviously I really wanted to win and I would have had a great opportunity this weekend.
“But nevertheless, these guys at Williams, they gave me that opportunity, they’ve been working so hard for me over the last two years.
“It’s my duty to send off the season on a high, and that’s what I’m here to do.”
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Despite the disappointment of seeing victory slip away last Sunday, Russell did at least finally score his first F1 points in ninth.
However, Williams still remains on nought for 2020 and the 22-year-old is hoping a crazy race could offer the chance to rectify that.
“We’ll be trying our everything, I think it gets to the last race of the season, I think everybody up and down the grid gets a bit desperate,” he claimed.
“There are a few teams fighting over that P3 spot, so we might see some big lunges. Carlos [Sainz] is off to Ferrari, so he probably won’t care if he bashes up the car, then you’ve got Danny Ric [Ricciardo] is off, so he probably doesn’t care if he bashes up the car.
“Who else is going? Sergio [Perez]’s off, so he won’t care if he bashes up the car. It could be a good one.
“But on pure pace, we know we won’t be fighting for the top 10, in all honesty.”
